An “extremely violent” burglar who threatened to abduct the children of Steven Gerrard and Alex Curran during a raid on their Merseyside home has been jailed for seven years and four months.

Martin Wilson, 22, was part of a gang of masked thieves who smashed their way into the England and Liverpool captain’s mansion in Formby.

The star’s wife, Ms Curran, 27, confronted the gang who demanded she hand over jewellery and the contents of a safe or else they would “take her kids”, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Wilson, of Hollowcroft, Stockbridge Village, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to the burglary last month.

Sentencing on Monday, Judge Robert Warnock told him: “You threatened the occupants of the house with violence and the use of a knife. Particularly seriously, you threatened to abduct the children if she did not hand over the safe.

“You are both venal and extremely violent. You have no regard for the dignity and security that is the right of every householder. Your actions are determined by your own selfishness and greed.”

The defendant is already serving six years and eight months in jail after admitting conspiracy to burgle at Liverpool Crown Court last June.

He was told that the sentence will run concurrently and is expected to add another two years to his total time in prison. He blinked away tears as he was taken down to the cells.

The robbery took place on December 11, 2007, as Gerrard, 30, led Liverpool to victory in a Champions League game against Marseille.

Ms Curran had remained at the home with their two children, Lilly-Ella and Lexie, now aged six and four, and their nanny, Lyndsey Johnston.

Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, described the mansion as secured by high walls, a fence and electronically-controlled gates.

He said the two women and the children were in their bedrooms when, at about 9.30pm, a loud smash was heard from downstairs.

Ms Curran and Miss Johnston met each other at the top of the stairs and, as they looked down, they saw a group of men walking out of the living room.

Ms Curran shouted to the men “Leave now”, the barrister said. But the thieves raced up the stairs and grabbed hold of the women’s arms.

One of them put his face right up to Ms Curran’s and said “Where’s the f****** safe?” and “Where’s the f****** jewellery?”

Ms Curran told the men there was no safe and jewellery was not kept at the house. One of the gang then directed another to “Get the blade out of the car”, before another told Ms Curran: “If you don’t tell us where the safe is, we’ll take the kids.”

Mr Pickavance said Ms Curran was “very frightened” and told the men the safe was in a cupboard downstairs so they then “dragged” her by the arm to where it was.

They also forced her to hand over the silver Rolex watch she was wearing.

Mr Pickavance added: “This property was targeted as it is a large house with high value and powerful cars parked outside. The Crown cannot say, however, that it was targeted because it was Steven Gerrard’s home.”